Members of Pro-Life Ambassadors will be passing out pamphlets and hosting a table in the Oklahoma Memorial Union throughout this week. They will also host speakers at 6 p.m. Thursday in the union’s Sooner Room to make people more aware of their opinions on the issues surrounding abortion.
“We firmly believe it is not a reproductive rights issue, it’s a human rights issue,” said Jared Haines, president of Pro-Life Ambassadors. “We think women have rights over their bodies but not by violating the rights of others.”
The Pro-Life Ambassadors’ events are simultaneous with OU’s Human Rights Week, but Haines said they are not part of Human Rights Week nor is UOSA sponsoring the events.
Haines, philosophy and economics junior, said the ambassadors want to have civil conversations in order to discuss what people think and why.
“We just wanted to have a time when we try to make people think more about the issue with a focus on the fetus being a human, with human life beginning at conception,” Haines said.
He said they have about 20 to 30 students participating with the ambassadors’ efforts.
He said they will also be chalking baby feet across campus as part of their attempt to raise awareness and make people think about the topic.
Jacquie Meyer, English senior, said she started participating with the Pro-Life Ambassadors last year when it first became a student organization.
She said she will be handing out pamphlets on the South Oval that explain the anti-abortion position.
“It explains what pro-life is and why it makes sense,” Meyer said.
Meyer said the Pro-Life Ambassadors have created a Web site for the information that is included in these pamphlets.
“I care a lot about human life, and I have a desire for people to know and understand both sides of the issue,” Meyer said. “I think a lot of people misunderstand the pro-choice side, and a lot of people misunderstand the pro-life side.”
Meyer said she thinks discussing how people get to their conclusions on the issue and understanding how each side gets to that point is really important.
“I think dialogue is huge,” Meyer said. “I don’t really see the point in getting in screaming matches with people because I don’t think that really helps people.”
Emma Hunsaker, University College freshman and supporter of abortion rights, said she supports what the Pro-Life Ambassadors are doing.
“I think that part of being pro-choice is being able to see both sides,” Hunsaker said. “I think they have just as much of a right as pro-choice people do in talking about their opinions.”
Hunsaker said she knows there are a lot of people who misunderstand each side on this issue.
“I think it’s trying to look past all of the biases and getting down to how you would feel if you were put in the situation where these laws would affect you,” Hunsaker said.
Taylor Foltyn, University College freshman and supporter of abortion rights, said he thinks both views should be known.
“The best approach to this is with as little bias as possible, just presenting the facts,” Foltyn said. “It shouldn’t be about trying to coerce someone into thinking one way or another, which this demonstration will probably be doing, but I do know it’s really hard to do that.”
Foltyn said there will undoubtedly be people who misunderstand each side, it’s just human nature.
“Living in America, so much of the foundation is made of having the choice to do something and not about the government telling you to do something,” Foltyn said. “It’s kind of a violation, in some regards, to some of the founding ideas.”
Gabriel Campbell, chemistry and botany junior and supporter of abortion rights, said he thinks it’s a good thing for people to have access to information about both sides of the issue.
“People should be available to information that’s based on scientific thought and truth,” he said.
“I think this has definitely become more of a political thing than a moral thing,” Campbell said. “I think it has been purposefully manipulated because it’s a way to gain power in politics.”
Campbell said he thinks the way to eliminate this is for there to be less corruption and a change in perspective.
“My true belief in this issue is that it’s not about morals, it’s about politics and the transaction of power between people,” Campbell said. “I don’t think it should be this way; I think the benefit of society, as a whole, should be more important than the motive of politicians.”
The Oklahoma Daily is pleased to provide you the opportunity to share your thoughts about this article. We encourage lively debate on the issues of the day, but we ask you refrain from using profanity or other offensive speech, engaging in personal attacks or name-calling, posting advertising, or straying from the topic at hand. To comment, you must be a registered user of OUDaily.com. Thanks for taking the time to offer your thoughts.
You must be logged in to leave a comment. Log in | Register
sally717 2 years, 6 months ago
It's a woman's health care issue. God and Bibles and Rights and Wrongs aren't the issue.
brandeis 2 years, 6 months ago
Abortions are murder; miscarriages are manslaughter. Send them all to the prisons.
tinapunk 2 years, 6 months ago
Miscarriages are manslaughter? I can't believe I just read that. Miscarriages are something that happens when the fetus isn't developing well with the mother's body. It has nothing to do with what the mother wants.
mythman 2 years, 6 months ago
After reading this and her story on Nov. 2, I feel that Ms. Goodell has a very distinct bias on this issue.
wiggin 2 years, 6 months ago
I believe that he was saying that if abortion can be classified as murder, the deliberate killing of a person, then miscarriage, an accidental incident, can be then called manslaughter.